Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased (Luke 2:14)!
One of the buzz words that typically surrounds the Christmas season is peace. We see it on billboards, lit up in twinkling lights, on hoodies, and on charms worn around necks. Yet with so many who shout “Peace!” from the rooftops this time of year, why does it seem like peace always eludes us?
The Bible promises believers different kinds of peace. There’s the kind that is characterized by the absence of conflict, a predicted peace when the nations of the world “will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks” (Isaiah 2:4).
But as we celebrate each Christmas, another year goes by that we’re still waiting on that prophecy to come true. Yet, when Jesus came to Earth, He was God’s gift of peace to the heart of every single person who believed in Him. And in Christ, God gives every believer an inner foretaste of the world peace to come.
If you really study what the angels sang that night, you’ll discover a much better translation of their song is “peace on earth among men of good favor.” That is, “peace on earth to men upon whom God has favor.”
Do you see the difference? Those who’ve experienced God’s grace are the only ones who truly experience the peace of Christmas. It’s not a peace that does away with conflict, but a peace that exists despite conflict. And if you’re in Christ, that’s the peace you have today!
As we wait on the day when God’s Kingdom will cover the Earth as the water covers the sea and worldwide peace will be known, we wait with the peace God has given us in our hearts as we trust in Christ’s return. Rest in the peace you have today and eagerly await the peace to come!
REST IN CHRIST’S INNER PEACE TODAY AND EAGERLY AWAIT THE WORLD PEACE TO COME!
